One of the state's largest Asian foods retailers, 99 Ranch Market, said it will close its doors next year and lay off all 54 employees.

In a filing with the state Department Labor and Industrial Relations yesterday, Sunrise U.S.A said that it will close the Mapunapuna ethnic food market sometime after Feb 28.

Officials at Sunrise, which acquired the 99 Ranch franchise last year, could not be reached for immediate response.

The market is located at 1151 Mapunapuna Street near the H-1 Freeway.

The grocery outlet specializes in meats, fresh produce, seafood and canned goods used in Chinese and other Asian cuisines.

The retailer opened in 1998 as the anchor to the 100,000-square-foot Moanalua Ethnic Village, whose tenants include several independent retail vendors, a bank branch and a food court.

The independent vendors will continue to operate at the property.

99 Ranch Market is a chain of Asian markets owned by Los Angeles-based Tawa Supermarket Inc, which owns 22 stores in California and Washington and has independent licensee stores in Nevada and Indonesia as well as Hawai'i.

99 Ranch Market will be the second company in the Mapunapuna and Halawa area to announce major job cuts during the past several months. In November, Frito-Lay laid off 108 of its employee when it closed its sole Hawai'i manufacturing plant in 'Aiea.